Generations Projects: The Neilson's
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| Orginal headstone for Ramus. This has since been replaced. |
Rasmus Nielson was born January 21, 1781 at Lindelse, in Denmark. He was the son of Niels Fredrickson and Maren Rasmusdatter. Rasmus first married Sidsel Christensen, a widow. Sidsel died 29 June 1830 leaving one daughter.On the 23rd of October 1830, Rasmus marries his second wife, Dorothea Hansdatter, daughter of Hans Lauritsen and Joanna Gotfredsdatter. From this union came the posterity that came to the United States of America. They joined the Mormon Church in 1853 and in December of that same year they set out for Utah with their five children. Rasmus, his wife and 3 children, Mads, Hanne and Hans, came to America in the winter of 1852 and 1853. On the ocean their 5 year old daughter, Maren Kristine, died and was buried at sea. They crossed the plains in Captain Hans Peter Olsen’s company by ox team party and were sent to Sanpete Valley to make their home. They went to Manti first and then to Ephraim. 31 May 1938 in the Manti Utah Temple, Rasmus and Dorothea were sealed for time and eternity.Rasmus Nielsen was one of the first settlers in Ephraim in 1854. Rasmus died 13 July 1863, at Ephraim, Utah. Dorthea died 22 July 1872, Ephraim, Utah .
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| Hans Neilson (center) and sons |
Hans Peter Rasmussen Nielsen, the 3rd child of Rasmus and Dorothea was born the 6th of July1839 in Gjerlev. He was 15 when his family emigrated from Denmark. His parents were sent to Sanpete County to assist in settling the city of Ephraim. They lived in dugouts until proper homes could be built. He was a freighter for there were not yet any railroads, and had many encounters with the Indians. He marries Annie Ditlevine (Lovine) Petersen in 1860, also a Danish immigrant, daughter of Jacob Pederson, and Eleanora Hedveg Madsen.
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| Annie Neilson |
Hans was a polygamist, as was practiced in the early church, and took a second wife. He married Caroline Christiansen (Thomasdatter), in Salt Lake in 1863, and in the year 1875 and moved to Chester, UT. Here he became a prosperous farmer. In total, he was the father of 21 children, fourteen girls and seven boys.
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| Caroline Neilson |
On the 27th of September, 1888, an indictment was brought against Hans on counts of bigamy or unlawful cohabatation by the US Supreme Court. The purpose of this posting is not to discuss plural marriage - maybe at a later time, simply a telling of the facts. The first charged that "on the 15th of October, 1885, and continuously from that time till the 13th of May, 1888, in the district aforesaid, he, the said Nielsen, did unlawfully claim, live, and cohabit with more than one woman as his wives, with Anna Lavinia Nielsen and Caroline Nielsen." To this indictment, on being arraigned, on the 29th of September, 1888, Hans plead guilty, and on the 19th of November following, he was sentenced to be imprisoned in the penitentiary for the term of three months, and to pay a fine of $100. He did time from the 19th November 1888 to the 6th March 1889.
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| Hans Neilson in prison at Utah State Penitentiary |
The government at this time was particulary aggresive in prosecuting LDS polygimists. After Hans served the sentence, a second indictment charged "that said Nielsen, on the 14th of May, 1888, in the same district, did unlawfully and felonious commit adultery with one Caroline Nielsen, he being a married man, and having a lawful wife, and not being married to said Caroline." After having pleaded guilty to the other, Nielsen pleaded not guilty, and that he had already been convicted of the offense charged in this indictment by his plea of guilty to the other. He appealed for an order of habeus corpus, stating that he was being tried for the same charge twice, which was denied, and sentenced to an additional 125 days in prison.
He was locked up from the 12th March 1889 until May 15th.
He was locked up from the 12th March 1889 until May 15th.
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| Deseret News article 25 May 1889 |
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| Hans Neilson |
In 1890, when the Manifesto was issued, and the practice ended, Hans was forced to leave Annie with 11 children and lived with the second wife Caroline Christensen, they had three boys and seven girls. A son, Jacob Nielson (Married to Eliza Pearl Kump, from the Kump post)was born 21 March 1871, to Hans and Annie. Jacob now had to help his single mother earn the living for the large family. It was necessary for him to leave school with a sixth grade level education at the age of 19.
Hans died in 1925 . Anne (1905) and Caroline (1920) had proceeded him in death . There were seven sons and eleven daughters, one hundred and twenty three grand children, ninety great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild at the time of his passing from natural , age related causes.
Hans died in 1925 . Anne (1905) and Caroline (1920) had proceeded him in death . There were seven sons and eleven daughters, one hundred and twenty three grand children, ninety great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild at the time of his passing from natural , age related causes.
http://www.ourlifehistory.org/genealogy/histories/History%20of%20Jacob%20Nielson%20and%20Eliza%20Pearl%20Kump%20Nielson.pdf
http://www.ourlifehistory.org/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I132&tree=Richens-Sorensen
http://supreme.justia.com/us/131/176/case.htmlhttp://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ex_parte_Nielsen
http://books.google.com/books?id=MDAUqgjxlIgC&pg=PA224&lpg=PA224&dq=Hans+Nielsen+AND+rudger+clawson&source=bl&ots=O1H1WRu7oK&sig=OqcfyMJXIRolCJ6sco9gwT21KJA&hl=en&ei=jgBlTtqsLeWmsAKBpLiaCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Hans%20Nielsen%20AND%20rudger%20clawson&f=false
posted by Austin @ 12:07 PM
5 Comments:
That's a lot of kiddos! :) They must have had good babies too... :)
This is Melissa testing out the comments...
Testing Again, Testing Again....
Okay, it lets me post as anonymous but not with my true identity. That's just weird!
Now for a true comment. :) Austin, I've been enjoying reading all of your Generation Project blogs. You have a very interesting history! signed: MIL (mother-in-law!)
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